Stories tagged: "early childhood education"


Speaker of the House Ben Toma speaking on the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives at the Arizona State Capitol building. Toma is also the chair of the Study Committee on Empowerment Scholarship Accounts
Governance and Oversight. Photo by Gage Skidmore.
After a Rocky Start, Arizona’s School Voucher Oversight Committee Meets This Week

The committee was established in May, but vacant seats and rescheduled meetings have delayed its first hearing. It has until Dec. 31 to release a report on the state's voucher program.

Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images for Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
$50 Million Awarded to Help Arizona Families Afford Childcare, Education, and Healthcare

Head Start provides income-eligible families and at-risk pregnant people access to school readiness opportunities for children up to 5 years old.

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Arizona Schools Get More Funding, But No Cap on Voucher Spending

The state budget provides nearly $400 million in additional education funding, but no spending limit on Arizona’s costly universal voucher program.

Photo by Morgan Fischer | The Copper Courier
10 Controversial Bills Just Passed By Arizona Republicans

The bills include another attempt to ban abortion outright, as well as efforts to ban certain books in schools and a proposal to criminalize homelessness.

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First Lady Jill Biden Visits Mesa Community College to Talk College, Jobs

First Lady Jill Biden stopped in Mesa to vocalize again her support for Mesa College Promise, a public-private partnership that promises free college to eligible high school graduates.

Westwood High School students make their way to classes, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022 in Mesa, Ariz. Like many school districts across the country, Mesa has a teacher shortage due in part due to low morale and declining interest in the profession. Five years ago, Mesa allowed Westwood to pilot a program to make it easier for the district to fill staffing gaps, grant educators greater agency over their work and make teaching a more attractive career. The model, known as team teaching, allows teachers to combine classes and grades rotating between big group instruction, one-on-one interventions, small study groups or whatever the team agrees is a priority each day. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Not Quite Universal, but Families Flocked to Universal Voucher Program

More than $200 million in state funds is expected to be transferred out of Arizona's public school system through the state's newly-expanded voucher program.

Austin Davis speaking at a recent show. (Photo courtesy of Austin Davis)
Phoenix Poet Shares How Writing Improved His Mental Health

Phoenix poet Austin Davis, who is holding a workshop in Tempe on Oct. 15, says writing has helped him process his mental health conditions.